Key turning device



1955 M, L. GOLDENBERG 2,702,653

KEY TURNING DEVICE Filed Sept. 1, 1953 I NI 'ENTOR.

A TTOR NE Y United States Patent KEY TURNING DEVICE Morris L. Goldenberg, New York, N. Y., assignor of one-third to Arthur I. Spechler, Behnar, N. J.

Application September 1, 1953, Serial No. 377,769 6 Claims. (Cl. 220-52) This invention relates to can-opening devices generally, and more particularly to a device for opening cans of the type comprising a scored strip of material adapted to be wound on a key. While not specifically, nor exclusively limited thereto, the can-opening device of the present invention is particularly useful for opening vacuum-packed and pressure-packed coffee cans and the like.

A common means of preserving many food products such as coffee, peanuts, shortening, and the like, is to pack them in cans from which the air has either been evacuated or put under pressure. In order to facilitate opening these vacuum-packed or pressure-packed cans, a scored strip of metal thereof has a tab projecting from one end thereof. Most of these cans are provided with a T-shaped key, having a head portion and a slotted strip-engaging portion, whereby the tab of the scored strip may be engaged in the slot of the key and wound on the strip-engaging portion thereof. Cans of the type described are commonly used, and can be found in practically every food store.

A common difficulty experienced in the use of the vacuum-packed or pressure-packed cans of the type described is the narrow, scored strip of material may wind unevenly on the strip-engaging portion of the key. When this occurs in the process of opening the can, it is extremely difiicult to complete the job of removing the entire strip, and other can-opening means must be employed if the contents of the can are to be removed. Since, in many cases, the scored strip of material is relatively narrow, and usually of a resilient metal, it is not always an easy task to unwind the scored strip of the can on the key in superimposed alignment, unless more than average care is taken.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved can-opening device for opening cans of the type described, that will overcome the aforementioned difiiculties.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved can-opening means adapted to be used with a T-shaped key for opening cans of the type described.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved can-opening device that may be used repeatedly for many cans.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved can-opening device that can be used to open substantially all of the vacuum-packed or pressure-packed cans on the present market, and which is simple in construction, easy to manufacture, and highly efiicient and safe in use.

These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in a can-opening device for opening cans in which a strip of metal has been scored in its cylindrical wall adjacent to the top of the can. The strip has a tab adjacent to one end thereof for engagement with a slot in the stripengaging portion of a T-shaped key. The can-opening device may be made of plastic or of any other suitable material, substantially in the form of a section of a right cylinder. The can-opening device comprises a bottom wall, a top wall parallel thereto, and a cylindrically-shaped body portion sandwiched between the top and bottom walls. The axis of the cylindricallyshaped body portion is substantially perpendicular to the planes of the top and bottom walls. The bottom wall is formed with an elongated slot therethrough. The length and width of the elongated slot are sufiicient to allow the head portion of the T-shaped key to pass therethrough. The body portion of the can-opening device is formed with two cut-out portions, or chambers, which are symmetrically disposed with respect to each other about the axis of the cylindrically-shaped body portion. The chambers in the body portion are of a size suflicient to receive the head portion of the T-shaped key therein, and to allow a partial rotation of the head portion therein about the axis of the strip-engaging portion. The elongated slot in the bottom wall communicates with the symmetrically disposed chambers in the body portion.

In order to open a vacuum-packed can of the type described, the tab of the scored strip of material is inserted in a slot in the strip-engaging portion of the T- shaped key. The head portion of the key is then turned a couple of revolutions whereby to begin unwinding, that is, tearing the strip of material from the cylindrical wall of the can. In order to obviate the aforementioned difficulties, and to insure that the scored strip of material is wound in superimposed alignment on the strip-engaging portion of the key, the head portion of the key is inserted through the slot in the bottom wall, and into the chambers of the body portion, of the can-opening device. The lower surface of the bottom wall of the canopening device is kept in contact with the top rim of the can. By rotating the can-opening device about the axis of its body portion, and maintaining the lower surface of the bottom wall of the can-opening device in contact with the upper rim of the can, the key will be rotated in a manner that will always maintain the stripengaging portion thereof parallel to the cylindrical wall of the can. In this manner the scored strip of material of the can is wound about the strip-engaging portion of the key in superimposed alignment. It is to be noted that the key locks into the can-opening device during the can-opening process, so that the can-opening device will not move upwardly and out of engagement with the top rim of the can. The outer periphery of the top wall of the can-opening device may be notched, or serrated, in order to provide a good grip for the hand.

The novel features of the present invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its organization and method of operation, will be understood in detail from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which similar reference numerals refer to similar elements, and in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the can-opening device in accordance with the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the can-opening device,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the can-opening device along the line 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the can-opening device along the line 44 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is an exploded view, in perspective, of a vacuum-packed food can, a T-shaped key, and the can-open- .ing device, in accordance with the present invention, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the can-opening device in the process of opening a vacuum-packed can in accordance with the present invention.

Referring, now, particularly to Figs. 1 and 4, there is shown a can-opening device 10 having the outer form of substantially a section of a right cylinder. The canopening device 10 comprises a bottom wall 12, having a lower flat surface 14, and an upper surface 16 substantially parallel to the lower surface 14. The bottom wall 12 has a circular periphery, and is formed with an elongated slot 18 along a diameter of the wall 12 as shown in Fig. 2. The slot 18 extends from the outer surface 14 to the inner surface 16 of the wall 12.

Extending upwardly from the bottom wall 12 is a body portion 20 of the can-opening device 10. The body portion 20 has an outer form of the section of a right cylinder. The bottom wall 12 and the body portion 20 may be molded in one piece, whereby they form an integral unit. The body portion 20 is formed with two cut-out portions, or chambers 22 and 24 symmetrically disposed with respect to each other about the axis of the cylindricallyshaped body portion 20, as shown in Fig. 3. The chamber 22 has the form of substantially a wedge-shaped sector of a cylinder, and is formed by substantially flat vertical walls 26 and 28, and a curved wall 30. The chamber 24, also having the shape of a wedge-shaped sector of a cylinder, is formed by substantially flat vertical walls 32. and 34 connected to each other by a curved wall 36. The walls 26 and 28 of the chamber 22, and the walls 32 and 34 of the chamber 24 lie in substantially vertical planes. The wall 26 of the chamber 22 is parallel to the wall 34 of the chamber 24, and spaced therefrom by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of a T-shaped key 48, shown by the dashed line in Fig. 3, and the wall 28 of the chamber 22 is parallel to the wall 32 of the chamber 24 and spaced therefrom by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of a T-shaped key. The curved wall 30 of the chamber 22, and the curved wall 36 of the chamber 24 are concentrically disposed about the axis of the cylindrical body portion 20.

A top wall 40 is fixed to the upper surface of the body portion 20, in any suitable manner. If the can-opening device is made of a plastic material, the upper wall 40 may be molded to, or pasted to the body portion 20 by a plastic cement. If the can-opening device 10 is made of a metallic material, then the upper wall 40 may be fixed to the body portion 20 by welding, or in any other suitable manner. The upper wall 40 is substantially parallel to the lower wall 12, and has a lower surface 42 and an upper surface 44. The periphery of the substantially flat wall 40 is circular in shape, and concentric with the lower wall 12, and the body portion 20. The periphery of the upper wall 40 extends slightly beyond the outer cylindrical wall of the body portion 20, and is formed with serrations or notches 46 therein for the purpose hereinafter appearing.

The can-opening device 10 is adapted for use with a T-shaped key 48, as shown in Fig. 5. A key 48 is usually supplied with each can 50, and is usually attached thereto, on the under side thereof, by welding or soldering its tip to the bottom wall 52 of the can. The tip portion 54 of the key 48 is shown fixed to the bottom wall 52 after the key 48 has been torn or broken away from it. The T- shaped key 48 is formed with a head portion 56, which forms the upper part of the T, and a strip-engaging portion 58 forming the lower portion of the T-shaped key 48. The lower part of the strip-engaging portion 58 is somewhat flattened and formed with an elongated slit 60 therein.

The can 50 is formed with a scored strip of material 62 in its vertical, or cylindrical wall 64. The scored strip 62 is adjacent to the upper rim 66 of the can 50, and is parallel thereto. The scored strip 62 is formed at one end with a tab 68 which is adapted to fit into the slit 60 of the key 48.

The operation of the can-opening device 10 will now be described. In order to open the can 50, the key 48 is engaged with the scored strip 62 in a manner so that the tab 68 projects through the slit 60 in the strip-engaging portion 58 of the key 48. The key 48 is then turned once or twice manually in order to begin tearing, or stripping, the scored strip 62 from the cylindrical wall 64 of the can 50. The can-opening device 10 is now placed over the head portion 56 of the key 48 so that the head portion 56 passes through the slot 18 in the bottom wall 12 of the can-opening device 10. When the lower surface 14 of the bottom wall 12 of the can-opening device 10 rests on the upper rim 66 of the can 50, the head portion 56 of the key 48 will lie between the walls 26 and 34 of the chambers 22 and 24 respectively. When the can opening device 10 is rotated about the axis of the body portion 20, that is, its vertical axis, the head portion 56 of the key 48 will lock into the chambers 22 and 24 so that the can-opening device 10 will not be able to move in an upward direction during the can opening process. In this latter position, the head portion 56 of the key 48 is in contact with the walls 28 and 32 of the chambers 22 and 24 respectively, as shown by the dotted outline of the key 48 in Figs. 3 and 4. As the can-opening device 10 is rotated about its vertical axis, which is also the axis of the strip-engaging portion 58 of the key 48, and the lower surface 14 of the can-opening device 10 is kept in contact with the upper rim 66 of the can 50, the scored strip 62 will wind on the strip-engaging portion 58 of the key 48 in superimposed alignment, as shown in Fig. 6. When the scored strip 62 has been torn from the cylindrical wall 64 along its upper and lower scoring marks 70 and 72 respectively, the upper wall 74 of the can 50 is separated from the can proper. The key 48, with the scored strip 62 wound in superimposed alignment on the strip-engaging portion 58 of the key 48 may be removed by turning the key 48 until the head portion 56 thereof is in a position so that it may be passed through slot 18 in the lower wall 12 of the can-opening device 10.

The notches 46 in the slightly protruding periphery of the upper wall 40 of the can-opening device 10 provide gripping means for the fingers during the can opening process.

Thus, there has been shown and described a can-opening deyice, in accordance with the objects of the present invention which is simple in structure, easy to operate, and useable over and over again. The device is sturdy, operates with high efliciency, and yet due to its simplified construction may be manufactured for sale at a low cost.

Various modifications may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and it is therefore desired that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are necessitated by the prior art and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for opening cans, with the aid of a T- shaped key of the type having a head portion and a strip-engaging portion; said device comprising a flat bottom wall having a substantially circular periphery, a top wall of substantially circular periphery, and a cylindrical body portion fixed between said walls, the axis of said body portion being at substantially right angles to said walls, said body being formed with two chambers, symmetrically disposed with respect to said axis, said bottom wall being formed with a slot, along a diameter thereof, and communicating with each of said chambers, said slot being of a length and width sufiicient to pass said head portion therethrough, and each of said chambers being of sufiicient size to receive one-half of said head portion therein.

2. A device for opening cans of the type having a scored strip of material adapted to be wound on a T- shaped key having a head portion and a strip-engaging portion; said device comprising a substantially cylindrically-shaped object having a substantially flat bottom wall, a substantially flat top wall and a hollow body portion fixed between said walls, said body portion having a cylindrical outer surface, and a symmetrically-shaped inner surface, said inner surface comprising four fiat vertical walls and two curved walls defining two wedge-shaped chambers symmetrically disposed with respect to each other about the axis of said cylindrically-shaped object, said bottom wall being formed with a slot communicating with said chambers and adapted to receive said head portion therein.

3. A device for opening cans as defined in claim 2 wherein the periphery of said top wall is formed with notches, whereby said device may be gripped.

4. A device for opening cans as defined in claim 2 wherein said four vertical walls comprise two pairs of parallel walls, the walls in each pair of parallel walls being spaced from each other a distance equal to at least the thickness of said key.

5. A device for opening cans of the type having a scored strip of material adapted to be wound on a T- shaped key having a head portion and a strip-engaging portion; said device comprising a substantially fiat bottom wall having a circular periphery, a hollow, cylindricallyshaped body portion fixed to said bottom wall and extending upwardly therefrom, the axis of said hollow, cylindrically-shaped body portion being perpendicular to said bottom wall at the center thereof, a substantially flat top wall, having a circular periphery, fixed to said body portion, said hollow body portion having an inner surface comprising two pairs of flat walls and two curved walls, each of said pairs of flat walls and said curved walls being symmetrically disposed with respect to each other about said axis, each of said curved walls and a wall from each of said pairs of flat walls defining a chamber adapted to receive one-half of said head portion of said key, said bottom wall being formed with a slot along a diameter thereof communicating with said chambers.

6. A device for opening cans as defined in claim 5 wherein the walls within each of said pairs of flat walls are angularly disposed to each other, but parallel to the walls of the other of said pairs of walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,567,563 Hribar Sept. 11, 1951 2,581,095 Godrnaire Jan. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 266,803 Switzerland May 1, 1950 

